The tragic bus accident that occurred in Mississippi early Saturday resulted in the loss of seven lives and left many others injured. The incident is believed to have been caused by a tire failure, which led the vehicle to veer off the road and flip over, according to officials.

Officials from the National Transportation Safety Board, working alongside the Mississippi Highway Patrol, are investigating the crash that tragically took seven lives and injured an additional 36 people. The accident took place around 12:40 a.m. on Interstate 20 near Vicksburg, Mississippi, when the bus flipped after leaving the road.

According to NTSB member Todd Inman, the bus was identified as a 2018 Volvo commercial passenger vehicle traveling westbound when its left front tire malfunctioned. This malfunction resulted in the bus departing onto an embankment and rolling onto its left side.

Inman noted that investigators will remain at the crash site for at least another week, examining various aspects of the incident such as the bus’s mechanical status, the safety record of the motor carrier, the driver’s qualifications and experience, as well as environmental conditions during the crash.

Records from the U.S. Department of Transportation indicate that the bus was operated by Autobuses Regiomontanos. In the two years leading up to this incident, the company’s vehicles were involved in one fatal accident, two incidents resulting in injuries, and another requiring a tow truck.

This transit company has been in operation for more than 20 years, offering services between over 100 destinations in Mexico and the United States, as stated on their website.

The NTSB expressed deep condolences for the victims and their families. Inman said, “Everyone at the NTSB sends their expressions of sorrow for everything that the survivors and victims of this crash went through.”

Bus accident results in 7 fatalities and 36 injuries

Authorities noted that the bus was carrying 41 passengers along with two drivers at the time of the incident. It was on a trip from Atlanta to Dallas.

According to Master Sergeant Kervin K. Stewart of the Mississippi Highway Patrol, no other vehicles were part of the accident. Six of the deceased were found at the accident scene, while another person succumbed to their injuries later in a hospital.

Thirty-six other individuals were transported to nearby hospitals for treatment.

Warren County Coroner Doug Huskey revealed that two of the victims who lost their lives were identified by their mother as a 16-year-old girl and an 8-year-old boy, as reported by The New York Times. The authorities are actively trying to identify the other victims.

Contributing: Jeanine Santucci, YSL News